What Does Psalm 23.6 Mean?

"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever."

Do you really believe that? I mean, do you really?

God's goodness is something we can never fathom. It's so big, wide, deep and incredibly beyond our human capacity to understand. We see God's goodness in many different ways - when we get that promotion we were hoping for for so long, when a child is born, when we see our loved ones live well and prosper...

Do we believe in God's goodness when we face grief, bad news, loss, heartache, betrayal, and when that door to breakthrough seems to slam in our faces whilst we watch it swing open for others? How can it be possible to believe in God's goodness following us when we seem to be followed by everything else that isn't good AT ALL!

The image above paints a familiar a picture for many people. We come with our hope and faith-filled petitions for breakthrough - but as we lift our hands, we see the filth of all the things that pulled us back and tore us apart, and we shrink from believing that God's goodness is for us, too. "Maybe for others, not for me."...

Jeremiah 29.11 paints a beautiful picture for the faith-poor soul whose belief in God's goodness may be a little worn down. It's one of the first bible verses I memorised as a little girl! Let's read it together.

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord (Yahweh). "Plans to prosper and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."

Can you imagine what it would have been like for Abraham to hear that he was going to be the father of nations, with descendants as numerous as the stars? Abraham was old and his wife, Sarah, was beyond child-bearing age. When God chose Abraham, he already knew (before he even laid the foundations of the earth in Genesis 1) who Abraham would be.

God is omniscient and omnipresent.

This is great news for us! If you're like me, you don't even know what you want for breakfast tomorrow. If you're a woman reading this, this can get worse when your hormones just don't know how to chill out! Ask my husband - he'll tell you.

But God is all-knowing and present in the future, present, and past - all at once. This means He knows who you are, what you will do tomorrow, the path He has set you on, the plans He has for you. He also know what's been eating at your faith and hope, and He sees the effort you put in to believing that He is who He says He is - a good Father. The author of your life is giving you a spoiler alert in Psalm 23.6. All you need to do is trust in His Word. I assure you, no matter what life looks like or what you may feel like, He is worthy of your trust and faith.

So, when you're tempted to believe that the patterns of disappointment, failures hold more weight than God's Word, remember these things:

• Your creator wrote your story. As the author, He knows every detail, including how it will turn out.

• The devil came to steal, kill and destroy, but the Lord sent His Son, Yehoshua (Jesus), to give us life. He came that we may have it in abundance. (John 10.10)

• No matter what you've faced in life, the God that worked it out for Abraham will work all things for the good of those who love and trust in Him. He will do so even when it seems hopeless and impossible in your eyes. (Romans 8.28)

• There is a time and season for everything. It will happen in due time. (Ecclesiastes 3)

• Faith and trust are signs of obedience and trust in God. Remember, it is impossible to please God if we do not believe in Him - His character, and His will to do good. (Hebrews 11.6)

• We will not overcome by our might or power. We can only do it by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Zechariah 4.6)

• Keep your eyes on Him and your mind on things above. Gratitude for what He has done for you is a great way to remember His goodness! (Colossians 3.2)

• As a child of God, His goodness and mercy is a gift He freely gives us. We need not strive for it. (Matthew 7.9-11)

If you have chosen to follow Jesus and have accepted His gift of salvation, then good news! We who are in Christ don't have to do this alone. The Holy Spirit is there to guide us and remind us of the Word to edify, encourage, correct and teach us. That means we need to read the Word!

Quick tip: this week, research 3 bible verses. Write them down. Make a prayer and read them out loud. Tell me what happens to your faith and relationship with the Holy Spirit after 3 weeks :).

If you don't know who Jesus is, but would like to know how He can help you live a fulfilled life, please get in touch via chat or our contact page. We'd love to chat with you and will do our best to answer any questions you may have.

Hey - this is easier said than done. I've been the person at the other end of a blog rolling my eyes at other online posts thinking, "It's sooo easy for you to say." So if you're eye-rolling me right now, I get it. I'm also typing this whilst I'm going through my own stuff, too, so you're definitely not alone here. It's so important that you surround yourself with a group of people that follow Jesus and can build your faith up (especially when you need support to keep going). As believers, we're meant to walk in community with one another.

If you don't have a community or need someone to help you pray, we have a space HERE where you can fill out a form and we'll pray with you. Leave your email address if you'd like us to follow-up with you later!

LWAP is not only a brand - it's a community, so let's do this together. Comment your thoughts below.

God bless, and Jesus loves you.

Pam.

Jeremiah 29.11